Became The Premier League’S Youngest Manager [EN]: Chapter 223

223: The Red Bull and the Red Bird

[…Manchester United achieves a dramatic draw! Manchester United celebrates with the final whistle!]

Late at night.

In the CEO’s office at Burnley Football Club’s Barnfield Training Centre, the cheers of the stadium and the excited voices of the caster [commentator] filled the air from the TV.

[…In yesterday’s game, Burnley easily won against Norwich. With Liverpool drawing today, the point difference has narrowed to 1 point!]

[…Really, no one expected this result when Burnley suffered a 5-game losing streak at the beginning of the season!]

The commentator, still buzzing with excitement, shook his head.

[…Liverpool, who had been running in first place from the first round without ever losing it, has been forcibly separated from the championship trophy they had already grasped. It’s a truly shocking result. If they had held on for just 3 more minutes, it would have been a practical victory….]

The caster, also shaking his head, picked up on the commentator’s words, who trailed off as if shocked.

[…If they lose in the final game, it will be recorded as the most unfortunate championship failure in Premier League history.]

It wasn’t a case of fierce competition going on until the last day and then being overturned.

A team that had been in first place from the first day of the season until the 36th round, not even allowing a chance for a reversal, suddenly relinquished their victory at the end of the game where they could have secured the championship, opening up the championship race with their own hands.

As of the end of the 37th round of the Premier League, 1st place Liverpool has 97 points with 31 wins, 3 draws, and 3 losses.

2nd place Burnley has 96 points with 32 wins and 5 losses.

While Liverpool suffered 3 losses and Burnley suffered 5, earning 4 more points, Burnley narrowed the gap to 1 point by winning 1 more game than Liverpool.

Now, the fate of the Premier League champion will be decided on the last day, the 38th round, and in a head-to-head match between the 1st and 2nd place teams.

The TV screen switched from the cheering Manchester United players and fans celebrating the dramatic draw to the studio where the caster and commentator were sitting.

The caster, as if calming down a bit, looked at the commentator and summarized the situation.

[…Liverpool was aiming for a quadruple [winning four major trophies in a single season] this season. It seems like a serious setback has occurred in their plan. Anyway, it seems like the shock of being knocked out by Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals last week was significant.]

[…It seems so. The expressions of the players, who had to accept shocking results at the end of the game twice in a row, were definitely not good. Of course, they already have the Carabao Cup in their hands, and the FA Cup final is scheduled for 3 days later. Above all, they will win the championship if they get a draw or better against Burnley in the final game.]

[…Theoretically, it is possible to win the domestic treble [winning three domestic trophies in a single season].]

The commentator nodded at the caster’s point.

[…Of course, Liverpool, who recorded a Premier League and Champions League double last season, will probably be disappointed. But the quadruple is still difficult.]

Both Manchester City and Liverpool had attempted it for the past few seasons, but it was difficult to win four competitions, no matter how strong their squads were.

[…Well, Liverpool has won the Premier League for two consecutive seasons. If they win this season as well, they can try to record a Premier League three-peat, which only the great Sir Alex Ferguson has achieved, but with today’s draw, the three-peat has suddenly become a bit precarious.]

Until right before today’s game, Liverpool’s victory was almost a foregone conclusion.

No matter how well Burnley played, they wouldn’t be able to close the 3-point gap and the nearly 20-goal difference.

Until Mohamed Salah of Liverpool scored the first goal in the first half, I thought that prediction would come true, but Manchester United properly threw a wrench in the works in the second half’s extra time, ending the game in a draw.

I don’t know if they didn’t want to see their rivals virtually confirm their victory at Old Trafford [Manchester United’s home stadium], but anyway, the desperate attacks of the Manchester United players led to Burnley being given a slim chance to win the championship.

The caster, who was listening to the commentator, tilted his head.

[…But Burnley has been absolutely inferior to Liverpool this season. Of course, the next game will be held at New Turf Moor, or rather, Andrils Moor, but will Burnley be able to win?]

[….]

From tomorrow, all of Britain’s broadcasters, media outlets, bookmakers, critics, and fans will surely pour out their opinions on this topic.

The caster opened his mouth to continue the conversation at the commentator’s momentarily paused expression….

Beep!

Helena turned off the TV.

“So, the opportunity to win the championship is still open.”

The man who was watching the game with her in her office said.

“Yes, it has become so.”

Helena said, looking back at her father, Ian Cartwright II.

The two most likely acquirers who have expressed their intention to acquire Burnley Football Club – Red Bull and RedBird – have finished appealing everything they can appeal.

The acquisition price is the same as the amount offered by Cartwright Fund.

The price set when Chelsea’s former owner Roman Abramovich sold his team, which he had led for 19 years, to a consortium led by American tycoon Todd Boehly in May 2022 was £4.25 billion.

Located in London, the capital of England, with a global fan base and a solid record of winning, one of the so-called Big Six of the Premier League.

Of course, there were many problems such as an aging squad and a stadium that needed definite reconstruction or remodeling, but there was no doubt that it was one of the best clubs in Europe.

In comparison, Burnley is a small club located in the northwest of England.

The amount ALK Capital paid when it acquired Burnley Football Club from Mike Garlick in December 2020 was only £170 million.

And the funds that Cartwright Fund invested to reacquire Burnley from the bankrupt ALK Capital were only £40 million.

Based on this, Burnley has led improvements in all aspects, including the squad, performance, and stadium, through record growth over the past few seasons, but has not yet reached the level of Chelsea.

Nevertheless, football officials and financiers estimate Burnley’s current value at approximately £2 to 3 billion.

If the sale proceeds, it will be a deal that gives Cartwright Fund a return of a whopping 5,000% to 7,500% in just three years.

Now the decision has been passed on to Cartwright Fund, and Ian Cartwright II, the head of the fund, has crossed over to England for final consultation with his daughter, to whom he has given the final decision-making power.

However, Helena was inwardly confident that her sports-mad father had a greater desire to attend a place where his team was competing for the UEFA Champions League [Europe’s top club competition] title.

While Emil, who couldn’t come to England with her because his graduation exhibition wasn’t over yet, was shedding tears of blood, the head of the Cartwright family, who ruthlessly abandoned his eldest and youngest sons and crossed the Atlantic, looked at his daughter with blonde hair and blue eyes that resembled him so much.

“So, have you made a decision?”

“Haa….”

Helena got up from the sofa and headed behind her desk.

The lights installed on the outskirts of the Barnfield Training Center were all turned off, but the light leaking from the window was enough to vaguely confirm the appearance of the outdoor training ground.

This has been her life for the past three years.

Operating the club with the sound of players training every day in the background, reversing the bankrupt finances and reviving the team.

Of course, it wasn’t just her, but also a great football director, an experienced former owner, and, above all, the biggest thing was picking up a legendary manager while walking backwards [achieving something great unexpectedly].

“Which one do you like better, Father?”

“I think they’re both similar.”

Ian Cartwright II said calmly.

“Red Bull has more experience running a football team, but RedBird, led by Billy Bean, also has considerable know-how in sports teams. In the end, there is only a difference in the direction in which they will lead Burnley.”

Red Bull aims to reach the highest peak in the Red Bull system, but eventually establish itself as a selling club like RB Leipzig in Germany.

RedBird wants to make Burnley a final destination that all players want to go to.

It was a wonderful thing to say that made her heart beat, but could a rural club located in the northwest of England really occupy such a position in European football?

“If you want….”

Her father, who was looking at his daughter lost in thought, said.

“…Moving to Cartwright Perpetual is still open.”

Helena, who looked at her father who was bringing up the plan to give up the club’s sale and operate it semi-permanently in the Cartwright family, shook her head.

“I don’t think that’s right. It’s completely my personal greed.”

“I think it’s okay to have a little personal greed.”

Helena looked puzzled at the unexpected words.

“I didn’t expect you to say that, Father.”

“I have never pushed you to become something specific, to do something specific, or to make friends with someone specific.”

Ian Cartwright II sighed softly.

“I can’t say that I didn’t influence what you liked, but I wanted you to choose what you liked and supported you.”

Then the eldest son readily raised his hand to become the third generation to continue the family business that had been going on for two generations.

And the daughter joined the family business following in the footsteps of her eldest son.

The youngest son seems to have found a different aptitude, but well… shouldn’t we see how it goes?

“I appreciate those words, Dad.”

Helena said.

“And it’s true. You have never forced us.”

At least as the head of the fund, he would give instructions to employees, but he never forced his sons or daughters as a father.

Brazil and Detroit were also places she raised her hand and said she would go.

Burnley came semi-compulsory… well, it was good to come.

Helena looked out the window again.

It’s May, but the night in the northwest of England is still cold.

The well-maintained green grass of the training ground, the goals and equipment set up everywhere, and the unique accent of the northwest of England and the seemingly blunt yet enthusiastic residents of Burnley.

“…Maybe I’ve come to love Burnley a little.”

Helena murmured, leaning her head slightly against the window.

“But if I stay here, I might get a little restless.”

Helena knew herself too well, loving new challenges, new attempts, and new crises.

If she stayed here, there would come a day when she would think it was boring and uninteresting.

Wouldn’t it be better to leave those things she loves as beautiful memories rather than letting them fade away?

“I see.”

At Ian Cartwright III’s calm words, Helena Cartwright turned her head and looked at her father, the head of the fund.

The head of a prestigious Wall Street family, who confirmed the will and determination contained in his daughter’s gaze, gave a faint smile.

A curve so faint that it would be difficult to recognize unless it was family or closest friends.

“So, what have you decided to do?”

“I….”